Ash
by Jocelyn Ralph
Summary: retelling of Cinderella
1. A Fortunate Marriage

Chapter One: A Fortunate Marriage

The day the Marquise Sorrel married once more was a joyous one for those who knew and loved her. It was also the day which spearheaded a major revolution in the thoughts of the people of Farbeni. Sorrel married someone of a color beneath hers, a white man. Even if he did hold some rank as Ambassador, marriage between a red-noble and a white-commoner had not taken place within the memory of even the oldest of court records. The marriage, in itself, was historic. Such a marriage was an omen for the future.

Despite all this, it the marriage took place for no other reason but love. Sorrel loved the ambassador, and the ambassador loved her. There was nothing more to it. If that caused the stirrings of political revolution, they were too much in love to notice.

Something Sorrel did not know about her husband, Monroe, was that when he would come to her enormous home, he would not come alone: Monroe had a daughter. Sorrel, despite her controversial marriage, was very haughty. As much as she was willing to forgo the fact that her husband's rank was many degree below hers, she was not willing to accept another such one. So when they returned from their honeymoon to her estate, and Sorrel discovered she had one extra daughter, a girl a few years younger than her own, by name of Ash, she was less than pleased.

However, she was unwilling to upset the happiness of her husband, so for a time she put up with her Ash's presence.

After a month, however, Sorrel could abide Ash no longer. But what could she do? Monroe would not tolerate it if his beloved daughter were mistreated. Even though it was Sorrel's right to do with Ash as she pleased, she loved her husband too much to let him see his daughter humbled. So she devised a plan, one she knew would work. She approached her husband.

"My love, I have some words to speak with you concerning your daughter," she said sweetly.

"Tell me, then. I wish to know what you would say," he said.

"It seems to me she is of the right age to be sent to school, and I feel it would be most beneficial to her. She is the same age my girls were when they went. What say you, for I will not send her if you do not wish to be parted with her," she said craftily. She had picked the words carefully, knowing which ones would work in her husband to her advantage. He remained silent as he thought about this proposal.

"I agree, lady. I think a lady's education would benefit my Ash very well," he said.

Sorrel smiled. "I knew you would say so!" she said. "We shall send her within the week," she said.

"As you wish, my love."

"May I tell her, Monroe?" Sorrel asked.

"Of course," he kissed her cheek. She smiled, and left the room.

Ash resided in her father's wing, and Sorrel had little trouble finding her. She was in her own chamber, working on a piece of embroidery. "Get up," she commanded coldly. Ash looked up, but was unsurprised by the hostility in her stepmother.

Ash had always felt that her stepmother detested her. Obediently, she stood and curtsied to the grand lady. "What may I do for you, stepmother?" she asked.

"Do not call me that," Sorrel said harshly. "From this moment on, you will call me, 'my lady' and nothing more. You are to pack your things, but only such things as you cannot do without, at once. Send a servant to me when you are finished," she said, and left the room before Ash had time to ask her where she was being moved to.

Ash did as she was told, and packed only her beloved objects, which fit nicely into one bag. She sent a servant to her stepmother, who promptly came. "Pick up your things and follow me," she ordered. Ash did so, following Sorrel, who led her to the servants quarters near the wing she shared with her daughters.

"The servants quarters, my lady?" she asked.

"That is correct. I will not abide a useless white-commoner living idly in my home. You will earn your keep, as every other white living on my lands, do you understand? You will find a uniform in the drawer there. Every morning at dawn, you will report to Hilde, who will give you your list of duties for the day."

"What has my father to say about this," Ash said, a hint of anger in her voice.

"He believes you are being sent to school," she replied, and began exiting Ash's quarter. "One more thing," she added. "From now on, you may speak only when spoken to, understand?" Ash nodded, and Sorrel left.

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**Author's Note: Here is a list of the social ranking:

Green: pale skin with greenish undertones, any hair and eye colors. Lowest class – slaves, serfs.

White: milk-white skin, any color hair and eyes. Middle-class – government officials, soldiers, servants, merchants, etc. Can attain wealth and notoriety, but not nobility.

Black: black hair, black eyes, tanned skin, lower-level nobility.

Red: pale skin with red undertones, any color hair and eyes, upper-level nobility.

Blue: pale skin with blue undertones, red hair, any color eyes, royalty.

The idea for this system of skin colors is mainly based on this dream I had a couple weeks ago. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I just remember this guy, he was someone important, and he had red hair and blue eyes and his skin was tinted blue. I didn't intend for it to turn into this whole racism-based-on-skin-color kinda a thing, but as I've been writing, that's the turn it took. Hope you all like it, and not just for the social-political aspects 


	2. Step Sisters

Chapter Two: Step Sisters

It was a week after Ash became a servant in her own home. Her stepmother had soon put her to attending her two daughters. The eldest was called Idony, and the youngest was Christabel. Ash found them to be quiet sort of girls, the kind who have little or nothing to say. She figured this was part of their good breeding. They gave no sign of what they thought of their stepsister (whatever her color) waiting on them, except by treating her with silent civility.

Ash, however much she would have liked to tell her stepmother every cross word she could think of, managed to keep her mouth shut. Aside from her bossy stepmother, Ash had little to complain about. Idony and Christabel were not as demanding as Ash had heard noblewomen could be.

Of course, there were other servants as well. And Hilde; Ash had been afraid that Hilde would live up to the harshness of her name. How wrong she had been. Hilde was a small woman of advanced years, and was quite brisk, and very practical. She was the head of the servants attending Sorrel and her daughters. Ash's duties consisted of helping her stepsisters dress, making their bed, and picking up their room. Not at all hard tasks, really; nothing Ash wasn't willing to undergo.

As the weeks went by, though, Sorrel was unsatisfied with the small amount of work Ash was required. She made suggestions to Hilde, which meant they were orders. Hilde began adding more duties to Ash's roster, usually one at a time, at Sorrel's suggestions.

Ash's resentment toward her stepmother grew, but she noticed that the demeanors of her stepsisters had lightened, and she found that they could be quite talkative. They even began asking her questions, though around their mother, they were careful not to show Ash too much attention. Ash began to wonder at this sudden change in treatment, and confronted them about it.

"When I first started waiting on you, both of you, it seemed to me, resented my presence," she said. "But now you don't." She looked at them both expectantly.

Idony cast a glance at her sister as the question was asked, and then looked at the ground. "Well," Christabel began. "We did not resent you, per say," she said. She pursed her thin lips. "Idony might explain it better."

Idony glanced from Christabel to Ash. "You see, Ash, there are many who do not agree with social classes based on colors. Some believe, further, that social classes as a rule are wrong, that they should be done away with. I can't say that my sister and I belong to the second group. But we do not believe that colors ought to be a factor in class. If we seemed resentful of your presence, it was for no other reason than that we did not agree with our mother's reasoning in making you a servant," she said.

Ash didn't know what to say.

"When we found out that our mother was adding more chores for you, and saw how well you bore it, we couldn't help but like you," Christabel said. "You would have had every right to-"

"That's enough," Idony said. "The point is, Ash, we sensed your inner struggle, and felt that a kindred spirit lay within you," she smiled, and grasped Ash's hand in her own. "A sister, you see."

Ash smiled back. "What does this mean, now?" she asked.

"Well, I think I'll talk to Hilde about you," said Christabel.

"Although, I think it would be prudent if you still wore your servant's garb, in case Mother walks in," Idony added. Ash nodded in agreement, elated at this new discovery and the lovely change in her situation.

And so the weeks passed. The sister grew further to know and love one another.


End file.
